Beta
by STEVERANDLE'STWIN
Summary: Darrel Curtis: Pure bred werewolf, the only remaining wolf in the Curtis' bloodline. Keeping his wolf down under the surface while trying to keep it a secret, is harder than you think. When two members of the gang find out, will Darry convince them to keep the secret? Will Darry be able to protect his brothers and the gang when he's targeted by a rival wolf, an Alpha?
1. Chapter 1

I do not own the characters of The Outsiders. They rightfully belong to S.E. Hinton. I only own this idea. Reviews are appreciated. I love to know what you think. I only own the characters that I've decided to add.

Darry rolled his head on his shoulders slowly, feeling the muscles tense and relax beneath his skin, the bones in his neck cracking softly. It took only a few minutes for him to realize that something had changed, his muscles were tighter and his bones seemed to be a bit stiffer than before. He shut his eyes momentarily when his vision blurred and surged upward, as if putting everything into focus again, before he snapped them back open. His eyes now blazing an unnatural and bright icy blue, changing every color of what he originally had seen, now seeing in colors of yellow, blue, and green. Darry rolled his head on his shoulders again as he heard the all too familiar cracking of his jaw before it realigned, his canines lowered downward into sharp and lethal fangs. He slid his tongue over his teeth, a soft but deep growl leaving his parted lips. When he was younger, he had hoped that the gene would skip the next few generations completely; by now he was just trying to hold his wolf back as long as he could. But time was running out, the more you hold the wolf back, the more it wanted to rise.

He did everything he could to keep his wolf hidden from his brothers and friends, knowing that the more they knew, the more danger they were put in. Darry rose to his feet and stretched his arms above his head, noticing the slight feeling of his nails turning into claws. Tonight might be the only time he had to change without anybody finding out, although changing in the house is as risky as it gets, you never fully know whether you'll have control of your wolf or not. His eyes blazed a hint brighter as he tuned in on his hearing, making sure that the house was completely empty. Ponyboy and Johnny were both at the drive-in, Steve and Soda went to the races; Two-Bit and Dally were more than likely out getting drunk. This was his one and only shot at letting his wolf rise, if only for a few minutes. Darry closed the door to his bedroom as he stripped his shirt off, tossing it onto the bed, before sliding his jeans off as well, tossing them onto the bed with his shirt. He allowed his eyes to close as he willed his wolf up to the surface, feeling the rush of adrenaline and slight pain as the wolf surged up. He clenched his jaw against the pain that moved through his limbs, before snapping his jaws open as his bottom canines grew upwards into pointed fangs.

When another rush of pain moved through him, it went straight to his core and up his spine, sending him to his hands and knees with a choked gasp. His spine arched and bowed as each vertebra seemed to want to tear out of his skin, his bones bulging and buckling underneath him. A high pitched whine left his mouth as muscles tore free from bone, his ribs cracking and expanding outwards as they grew. His jaw cracked and snapped as it grew outwards, his cheekbones and nose growing outwards into a muzzle, his spine bowing as it grew outwards into a tail. His hands curved inwards at his knuckles, the bones starting to fuse together to form paws, the same happening with his feet. His ears traveled up the sides of his head to grow pointed at the tops, his bones snapping back into place as the change started to come to a stop. His body began to shudder as black and russet fur covered his entire body, claws scrapping across the floorboards as he gave his body a long and slow stretch, to fit into his new body. _It's been way too long; I forgot how good it feels to let the wolf out. _

Darry rose onto his now four legs and gave his fur a firm shake in order to fully rouse himself from the lingering blur of pain, his unnaturally blue eyes scanning his room. His wolf didn't want to be confined in the room and neither did he, he wanted to run, wanted the freedom of the run. With a soft, groaned out growl, he jumped onto his hinde legs and swiped at the doorknob a few times, his claws leaving slight indents in the wood of the door. With a frustrated growl, he lowered back down onto all four legs, giving in to the fact that the door wasn't about to open anytime soon from this side. A soft whine left his muzzle as he began to pace in circles the length of the room, tail tip twitching from side to side. Darry laid his ears flat against his skull, backing up a few paces before he ran at the door, one of his broad shoulders hitting it near the doorknob; he watched in satisfaction as the door swung open a bit. _Finally, maybe I can actually get a run tonight. _He used his nose and muzzle to open the door the rest of the way, ears perked up and swiveling to the sides in order to hear everything around him. After giving himself another good stretch and a firm shake of his fur, he padded into the hallway, pink tongue darting out to lick over his muzzle, icy blue eyes darting around. Those eyes landed on the door of the house, his movements freezing when the door swung open with Two-Bit and Dally staggering in.

"I still can't believe that blonde up and stormed off on me." complained Two-Bit as he staggered in through the door, reeking heavily of beer and some strange perfume, making Darry's black nose wrinkle and twitch at the overbearing scent.

"You spilt all your beer on her, idiot. I'm surprised she didn't deck you one, girls can have a mean right hook." replied Dally with a chuckle as he used his foot to close the door behind themselves, hearing it slam against the wooden frame.

"I tripped over a rock, that blonde was a bit of a b-." started the blonde headed teen but he was soon cut off by Dally going rigid beside him, saying only one word: "Dog."

"Yeah, man. She sure was a dog." replied Two-Bit with a chuckle as he flopped down onto the couch, sprawling across the cushions.

"No, dude. Dog, I think. It's pretty damn huge to be a regular dog." explained Dally as he hauled the teen up from the couch, turning his body in the direction of where the 'dog' now stood in the hall. Darry lowered his head and pressed his ears flat against his skull again, lips drawing back a bit as his shackles raised and his fur bristled along his back.

"That – That is no dog. It looks like a wolf, man. What the hell is it doing in here? How the hell did it get in here? Oh my god, we're going to die!" exclaimed Two-Bit in a slight panic, even though he looked a bit more sober than before, eyes wide in fear, that was coming off of the teen in waves. The wolf gave his black and russet fur a shake before he turned tail and bolted back into his bedroom, with both teens moving cautiously behind him.

"What the hell are we supposed to do with it? I'm not going anywhere near it, that thing could tear me to shreds." asked Dally as he and Two-Bit pressed themselves against the wall outside of the oldest Curtis' bedroom door, which had closed a bit when the wolf went in. Their eyes narrowed in confusion as they heard the slight sounds of bones snapping and cracking, growls and whines turning to groans and hisses of pain. Behind the door, Darry rose out of his crouched position, panting softly as he rose to his feet, rolling his head on his shoulders before he slid on boxers and his jeans again. He took a slow breath and forced his nerves to lower, before he used his foot to completely open the bedroom door to face both of the younger teens. 


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own the characters of The Outsiders. They rightfully belong to S.E. Hinton. I only own this idea. Reviews are appreciated, I'd love to know what you think.

"What the hell are you two doing back here already? I thought you both were with Pony and Johnny?" asked Darry as he walked out of his bedroom, shrugging his shirt up over his shoulders and then down over his sides. Two-Bit and Dally were both pressed flat against the wall across the hall, their breathing was sharp and labored and their eyes were as wide as saucers.

"We were and we did have dates until Two-Bit here dumped his beer all over a blonde, but that's not the dang point. What happened to that dog? Wolf? Whatever the hell it was." asked Dally as he followed the oldest Curtis down the hall and into the kitchen, where he started to wet a cloth for other teen to use to clean himself up with. He tossed the rag to the younger teen and leaned back against the counter watching as he ran it over his face to help sober himself up.

"How drunk are you Dally? I don't exactly remember seeing a dog, or a wolf anywhere near here. Let alone in the house." questioned Darry as he raised an eyebrow slowly at the Greaser, eyes narrowed a fraction.

"Not drunk enough to start seeing shit like that. You want to explain what's going on here? Where the hell that animal went?" asked the smaller Greaser as he crossed his arms over his chest, mirroring the stance of the older Greaser. A soft chuckle left Darry's lips, as he spread his arms wide, in a gesture for the teen to look around.

"Take a good look around, Dal. There's no animal anywhere in this house and there's not going to be. If you want to take a look, by all means, go for it. I really think you ought to sleep this one off." replied Darry as he walked past the younger teen, only to feel a hand come down roughly on his shoulder. The older Greaser spun around and tightly grasped the wrist that was connected to the owner of the hand, a growl leaving his lips in a warning.

"Take it easy, both of you. Dally, just go for a walk and cool off, go check on the two kids for a while, sit in for the rest of the movie or something." ordered Two-Bit as he gave the other teen's shoulder a shove to get him walking towards the door. He waited until the door slammed shut, the hinges creaking against the strain, before he turned his attention back to the older Greaser. Darry waited until the other teen was out of ear-shot before he filled a glass with water and slid it across the counter to the smaller of the two, narrowing his eyes again when he shook his head in a dismissive manner.

"Won't need it, not nearly drunk enough to even get a hangover anymore. Sobered up real fast seeing that thing. You know you can trust me, right? You can trust all of us." asked Two-Bit as he narrowed his own eyes at the older teen, not as a challenge but just to prod at getting answers. A very soft growl left the older teen's throat as he paced a few steps, arms still crossed over his chest.

"I know that, Two-Bit. What are you getting at here?" asked Darry as he turned to fully face the teen, locking eyes with him, refusing to drop or move his gaze.

"Your eyes changed color when you grabbed hold of Dally's wrist. They turned bright blue, man, that's not something easy to hide. Care to explain?" asked the smaller teen as he too locked gazes with the older Greaser, refusing to drop his. It was like a dominance battle between two Alphas, neither one willing to submit to the other.

"Are you sure that you're not drunk?" asked Darry as he took a seat at the table, leaning back a bit in his chair, gesturing for the other to take a seat.

"Cut the bull, Darry. It's just you and me here, nobody else is going to hear a thing. Be honest with me here. Are you on something?"

"Think that one through, Two-Bit. I've had a clean track record since High School and I plan on keeping it that way. I'm not on anything and I don't plan to be."

"Then explain it, it's obviously something you don't want any of us to know about. Do your brothers know? Did your parents know?"

"No, neither Pony or Soda know, I don't plan on telling them either. As for my parents, they know. It's inherited, through the male side of the bloodline, transferred from generation to generation. Mom was completely human, Dad was not, he had the DNA in his blood, when they had me that DNA was transferred. As far as I know, the DNA has skipped both Pony and Soda, which is a very good thing." explained Darry as he crossed his arms over his chest again, the muscles in his arms bulging.

"What DNA? How is it a good thing that it skipped both Pony and Sodapop?" asked Two-Bit as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table between them.

"With the DNA skipping both of my brothers, it keeps them safe, keeps them out of much more danger than they would be in if they had the DNA. They're safer without it in their blood."

"You still haven't answered the other question. What DNA?"

"It's easier to show than it is to explain." replied Darry as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, hands clasped together. He closed his eyes and rolled his head on his shoulders, bones cracking slightly and making odd fusing sounds as they shifted around beneath his skin. A soft growl left his lips as he opened his eyes again and unclasped his hands, his claws now clicking on the table. Darry blinked his eyes a few times as they remained a bright blue, canines shifted downwards into sharp points, matching the bottom set. He could hear the slight pick up of Two-Bit's heatbeat, watching as his pupils dilated a bit in slight fear. Darry closed his eyes slowly and reversed the small shift he had made, everything returning back to normal.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own the characters of The Outsiders. They rightfully belong to S.E. Hinton. I only own this idea and the characters I have created for the purpose of this story. Reviews are appreciated. I love to know what you think.

"Slow your heartbeat down, Two-Bit, before you have a heart attack." ordered Darry as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table, eyebrows raised in the direction of the other teen. His ears were tuned towards hearing the teen's heart racing in his chest, the scent of fear still clinging in the air.

"You can hear my heart beating? What else?" asked Two-Bit in confusion and curiosity as he too leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, eyes locked on the older Greaser. The scent of fear had dwindled down to the scent of curiosity and excitement, his muscles twitching underneath his skin with the excitement.

"Your heartbeat, the scent of your fear the minute I did the partial shift, your muscles twitching every few seconds as your curiosity rises. Your foot tapping on the floor, which is driving me crazy. As well as your initial natural scent, underneath the booze and chocolate from this morning." explained the wolf as he decided to lean back in his chair, his nostrils flaring as he brought the other teen's scent in.

"Natural scent? Since you can smell it, what is it?" asked Two-Bit as a smirk started to form on his lips, the corners of his mouth turning upwards. Darry closed his eyes and took a deeper breath, memorizing and familiarizing the scent in front of him.

"Underneath the booze and chocolate, there's the scent of the earth, your mother's perfume, natural energy which is stronger. There's something else there, but I can't really describe it, it's tantalizing, really catches my attention." explained the older Greaser in all honesty, his eyes showing that he was telling the truth.

"I didn't think you could get all that much just from one scent. What are your brothers' natural scents?" asked the younger of the pair with wide eyes, his interest showing clearly in his voice.

"They're almost completely similar when it comes to their scents. Cinnamon, nature, the scent of woods. A deeper scent, something heavier than our parents' scents, it has more of a musk to it than anything. Ponyboy's scent is stronger because he's younger and still forming it, I'd be able to locate them just by scent even in a crowd. The closer I am to them, connection wise, is the more I'll be able to recognize of their scent. We can pick up on any changes in scents, behavior, things like that just by being around them." explained Darry as his eyes flickered a few times to the icy blue, his eyes locking on the other teen's eyes.

"I know I'm just bombarding you with questions after questions, but, what caused you to do the full shift? It's not like it's a full moon or anything. Like. Can you do it on will or is it forced?" asked Two-Bit as he leaned even closer over the table, earning him a slightly beated huff from the older teen.

"The shift that you caught the result of was basically forced, I held it back for as long as I could. My body finally gave in and my wolf took over, the shift was forced by the wolf. I can't hold it back for a long time, without it being forced out like that. The longer I hold it back, the more likely I have of shifting without control. No control and somebody could get hurt." said Darry with tiny hints of guilt in his voice, as if he knew the outcome of the lack of control.

"I have about a thousand more questions to ask, but without knowing what time the rest of the gang are coming back, I'll settle for asking one last question. What was your first shift like? Your very first initial shift." asked Two-Bit as he rose from his seat to walk over to the fridge, starting to root around to see if there were any beer in the clear back of the fridge.

"I was 14 when I went through my first initial full shift, it wasn't supposed to happen until I at least turned 16. When the shift had started, I had no clue of what was going on or how to handle it. I was practically writhing on the floor in pain, it was that intense. Bones snapping and muscles tearing free from the bones. Believe me, it's not something you ever want to go through. Females that are bitten or born usually never survive the first initial shift, their bodies aren't strong enough to tolerate it. Born males have a higher rate of survival and bitten shifters have little control when it comes to their wolves. They have to be trained and taught how to control their wolves. I would never want to relive my first shift." explained Darry in all honesty, his voice fading out the minute he heard the front door of the house open, hearing it clang back against the wall when it opened.

"One last question." whispered Two-Bit softly but quickly, wanting to get the question out of the way before anybody overheard them. Darry made a small gesture with his hand to give the teen the chance to continue with his question. The younger Greaser seemed to consider how to ask the question before he just blurted out "Are we all Pack? Or is it just wolves?". Darry snorted softly under his breath before he cast a smile in the teen's direction.

"Of course you're Pack, you're family. Everybody here is Pack, it's not just about wolves, humans help keep the Pack balanced out." whispered out the wolf before the kitchen was overrun with the rest of the gang who were trying to find anything and everything to eat.

"Any chocolate cake left over, Dar?" asked Ponyboy as he walked up behind his older brother and wrapped his arms around his neck from behind, his scent wrapping his older brother fully. Darry turned his head in the direction of his younger brothers', chuckling softly under his breath.

"Second shelf in the back." replied the wolf as he grinned at his younger brother, who was still clinging to him like a little kid. Darry reached up and around and ruffled the youngest Curtis' hair, earning him a a swat at his hand. Ponyboy turned around and untangled himself from his oldest brother, turning to head back towards the fridge in search of the cake, his scent trailing behind him. Darry's eyes flickered a few times to the icy blue when an unknown scent trailed after his youngest brother's, the scent of another wolf, an Alpha. Two-Bit reached over and slapped the oldest Greaser's arm with a quick gesture towards his eyes, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Darry blinked a few times and rubbed at his eyes until they returned to their natural color, shaking his head a bit at the other teen, a silent way of telling him that they would discuss it later.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own the characters of The Outsiders. They rightfully belong to S.E. Hinton. I only own this idea and the characters I have created for the purpose of this story. Reviews are appreciated. I love to know what you think.

The wolf rolled over in his bed, his eyes remaining open as they had the entire night so far, his ears focused solely on the heartbeats of the rest of the gang, trying to focus them strictly on his brothers'. With the Alpha's scent lingering on his youngest brother, he didn't want to take any chances of the other wolf getting near the house, it was putting his own wolf on edge. The Alpha getting near his brother was already crossing a line, it was as if he were crossing into his territory. Darry rolled over in the other direction with a muffled growl, his jaw clenching as he felt his wolf clawing beneath the surface of his skin. _I give up. _He rose up into a sitting position, on high alert when he heard the sound sounds of bare feet on the wooden floor as somebody made their way back the hall to his bedroom. The growl that had been building in his chest, reached his throat, slipping out through his parted jaws and slightly bared teeth.

"Quit growling at me before you wake everybody else up." whispered out Two-Bit as he walked into the wolf's room, flopping down onto the bed beside the older teen before moving into a sitting position, leaning back against the headboard, his eyes trained on the other teen.

"What are you still doing up, it's almost two in the morning?" asked Darry as he looked over at the blonde haired teen. He could feel his wolf starting to settle beneath his skin at being close to the other.

"I could ask you the same thing. You only ever stay up when something is on your mind or when one of us is sick or hurt. As far as I know, none of us are hurt or sick. Spit it out, Dar. What is it?" asked the teen as he reached over and nudged the older Greaser's shoulder.

"The scent that I caught on Ponyboy tonight, it's from another wolf. Out of state, I think, not from the neighboring Pack that lives in Tulsa. It's from an Alpha." explained Darry as his eyes flickered to an icy blue a few times, his wolf rising on its own accord. Before Two-Bit had the chance to speak, another voice from the hallway did.

"What's an Alpha?" asked Dally from the hallway, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed a fraction in the look of a challenge. Darry rubbed a hand down his face before he motioned for the teen to come into the room, watching as he closed the door with his foot.

"How much did you hear?" asked the oldest Greaser as he moved over to give the second teen room on his bed.

"Enough to have questions, but those can wait until later. What's an Alpha?" asked Dally as he leaned back against the wall, his eyebrows raised in question.

"It's all about the hierarchy in a Pack. Alpha, Beta, and Omega. Alpha is the highest, the strongest, the fastest, they have the most power. Betas are second in commands. As for Omegas, they're the lowest. They're generally smaller, less powerful, not real strong or assertive. They're almost like the loners of the Pack. I, myself, am a Beta. A beta without a wolf Pack, I've got a human Pack instead." explained the oldest teen as he looked from Dally to Two-Bit.

"And you caught another Alpha's scent on Ponybody?" asked Two-Bit as he moved around to get himself comfortable.

"The Alpha's scent was foreign, it's definitely from out of state. Whoever the Alpha is, had to have come into close contact with him to get his scent that strong on him. I know for a fact that Pony has my scent on him, which the Alpha would have been able to pick up on. Him overlapping my scent with his own is almost like staking a claim, it's like crossing into my territory without permission. I'll have to speak with the Alpha of the resident Pack to see how we're going to handle this. Having another Pack moving into this half of Tulsa, especially an out of state Pack, can cause more than little problems. Especially if the Alpha is as bold as he's acting now." explained Darry as he rolled his head on his shoulders a bit to relieve the tension that was creeping into his muscles.

"How many Packs are there in Tulsa?" asked Dally with a slight tilt of his head.

"Ours and a hybrid Pack of both born and bitten." replied the wolf as he looked towards the teen.

"Are there others? Besides wolves?" asked Two-Bit with curiosity bright in his eyes.

"There are many other breeds besides wolves. You have jaguars, lions, tigers, coyotes, jackals, hawks, and hybrids." replied Darry, a slight chuckle leaving his lips when both teens were too shocked to utter another word or question.


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own the characters of The Outsiders. They rightfully belong to S.E. Hinton. I only own this idea and the characters I have created for the purpose of this story. Reviews are appreciated. I love to know what you think.

"Can somebody explain to me how we're supposed to separate these three?" asked Sodapop as he stood in the doorway of his older brother's room. Darry, Two-Bit, and Dallas were sprawled in the bed in a messy tangle of limbs, heads resting on shoulders, chests, or legs.

"How did they even end up like that? When I went to bed last night, Dally and Johnny were on the couch and Two-Bit was on the chair. What the heck happened after that?" asked Ponyboy as he leaned around his brother and peered into the room, holding back a chuckle at the trio. His head whipped around towards the front door when he heard it swing open, hearing the familiar 'thump' of Johnny's books hitting the kitchen table.

"You ready for school yet, Pone? I thought you wanted to leave early this morning to hit the library before homeroom?" asked the smallest of the Greasers as he walked back the hall to try and find his best friend.

"I got a little sidetracked." replied the youngest of the Curtis brothers' as he gestured towards the bedroom. They all jumped a bit when they heard the oldest Greaser's voice pipe up from his position on the bed, where he was partly under Dally and half on Two-Bit.

"For the love of God, stop staring and get him off of me. I'm being smothered here." ordered Darry as he shifted his position on the bed, earning him grunts and groans from the other two Greasers in his bed.

"Noooo. You don't get to move yet, I'm comfy." complained Two-Bit as he tried to wrestle the older of the gang back down into a laying position. Darry growled very lowly under his breath, barely audible, but the vibrations coming from his chest were felt by both of the Greasers in his bed. It took only a matter of sleep seconds for it to register with the other two what the sound was before they quickly flailed their way off of the wolf.

"Pony, Johnny, go to school. Soda, Steve should be here soon, he'll be able to give you a ride to the DX unless you two want a ride from me." explained Darry with hints of firmness in his voice to get his point across to them.

"We'll hitch a ride from ya' once you're around." explained Sodapop as he walked away from the bedroom with Pony and Johnny trailing after him. The trio sat up in the bed and rubbed the sleep from their eyes, either leaning against the wall or against the headboard.

"Which of you two are going to school today?" asked the oldest of the trio as he slid himself out of bed and walked over the closet, where he started to root through the clothes for an older pair of jeans to wear to work.

"We both are." replied Dally as he ran a hand through his already sleep mused hair.

"I might dip out halfway through but we'll both be there for the most part." added in Two-Bit with a sleepy mumble as he flopped himself back down onto the bed.

"Good, I want one of you to be with or near Ponybody today. I don't want that Alpha making any moves on him, I'll be at work so I won't be able to be the barrier. I'll need one of you two to do that. I don't know if that Alpha actually goes to that school or he's just scouting." explained Darry as he pulled on his jeans and slid his belt around his hips.

"We'll keep an eye on the kid." reassured Two-Bit as he nodded his head at the older of the trio.

(Time Lapse)

"Darrel! Get your butt down here, Curtis, and grab something to drink! You've got a visitor here!" called out Treyton, one of the Managers, from the ground as he looked up at the rest of the crew that were currently working on the client's roof, that had caved in during the last heavy downfall of rain. Darry picked up his towel off of one of the beams and wiped it down over his shoulders before he turned on his heel and made his was carefully back across the roof, minding where he was stepping. Of course, he would heal if he got hurt, but it would be a bit too hard to explain if a wound was gone within minutes. After making his way down off the roof and down the latter, his feet now firmly planted on the ground, his icy eyes scanning the area for where Treyton had gone off to. His nostrils flared a bit as he brought the scents around him over the roof of his mouth in an attempt to locate who was coming to him at work.

"Get a move on, Darrel! The faster you see this person the faster you can get back on the roof!" called out the Manager from inside the one Office building near the house location, the wolf following the man's voice until he walked into the far garage of the building.

"There's no need to rush the kid, this won't take long at all." explained an unfamiliar male voice, weighed down by a think accent, matching an accent from Spain. The blood in Darry's veins went ice cold when the scent coming from the unknown male wafted over the roof of his mouth, he was about to go face to face with the Alpha.

"Can we have a few minutes alone, Sir?" asked the Beta as he turned his attention to the Manager, who nodded his head once and left that section of the building, leaving the wolves in his wake. Darry locked eyes with the Alpha and let the icy blue color bleed through, being rewarded with the response of the Alpha's eyes bleeding through with a deep red.


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own the characters of The Outsiders. I only own this idea and the characters I have created for the purpose of this story. Reviews are appreciated. I love to know what you think.

"Come now, Darrel. There is no need to raise your shackles at me. Quite a young Beta you are, but you are a pure bred." explained the Alpha as he and the Beta all but moved in circles around the other, their lips drawn back a bit and their eyes blazing their unnatural color.

"There are plenty of reasons to raise my shackles at you, you're lucky to still be on your feet. You are within Curtis territory, might I remind you, and without permission as it is." replied Darry as he clenched his hands into fists at his sides, the knuckles turning white with restrain.

"There is no needed permission when there is no Alpha to fully scent the borders. You're living in a territory divided. You are practically the last of your own Pack, your bloodline has all but come to an end, killing off the wolf that lives inside of you. Your brothers don't seem to be wolves, it must have skipped a few generations. None of your little 'Pack' seem to be wolves, it's all full of human blood. Why haven't you expanded your Pack?" the Alpha had the nerve to ask as the two circled each other, eyes locked and claws itching to come free.

"I would never put my own brothers or the gang in the amount of danger that comes with being a wolf. They're in enough danger being associated with one, you really think I want to up that level for a sadistic satisfaction of power?" Darry growled out, his eyes briefly flickering to a steel blue, before back to their natural color. He knew he was being challenged, but with his brother's lives on the line, as well as his friend's lives, he wasn't about to turn tail and run. The Alpha's lips drew back to reveal his newly shifted fangs, his canines having come down into lethal points, a deep growl building in his throat. As an Alpha he was used to obedience from every wolf below him, from Beta to Omega to Pup, from Bitten to Born. This could either end badly or the tension could lower to where they could both go their separate ways without a mark being left behind, the oldest Greaser didn't think it was going to end that way.

"My. My. Such a backbone for a lone wolf. I'll give you some time to consider your options here, Beta. You can either expand your Pack and fully claim your territory, or lose it all by the next full moon. When that moon reaches its crest, that marks your final chance of coming to a decision." the Alpha warned him as he brought his hand up to swipe a claw across the arc of Darry's cheek, the claw slicing through the skin with ease in a small movement. The younger wolf didn't so much as flinch at the wound to his cheek, keeping his eyes locked onto the Alpha.

"Curtis! You about finished up? We need to get you back on the roof and get this train rolling again so we stick to schedule!" Treyton called out from outside the building, his voice easily meeting their ears.

"Just finished up! Allow me to show you out, Alpha." Darry said calmly to the older wolf, hoping the venom in his voice came across exactly how he intended it to.

"I can see myself out. Take some time to take my offerings into consideration. I really don't want to have to spill much blood on this matter." the Alpha said once more before his back was turned to the Beta and he walked from the building, Darry's instinctual growl filling the air around them as he watched the wolf's retreating form.

(Time Lapse)

"Darry? You're back early – earlier than usual. You're usually here after Ponyboy and Johnny are back from the library – not before." Two-Bit said in confusion from where he was sitting upside down on the chair, a half empty beer bottle on the floor by the chair.

"We finished the roof earlier than expected, all that's left now is just the finishing paperwork which can be taken care of tomorrow. Boss let us all out early today." He replied to him as he slid his jacket off and hung it up onto the rack, heading towards the bathroom to take care of the still throbbing and not healing cut on his cheek. The door to the bathroom swung open just as he stepped to it, Dally making his way out only to stop short and grasp the older Greaser's chin to turn his head to the side in order to examine his cheek.

"Why aren't you healed? You can do that, right? You do have rapid healing?" asked Dally in curiosity and concern, the concern an unusual trait with him, as his eyes raked over the cut.

"Yes, all Shifters of any breeds have an excessive healing factor. We can and do heal at a faster rate than humans, except for when it comes from somebody of a higher rank. Omega's can't heal from Beta's as fast and Beta's can't heal from Alpha's as fast. If any of them ask, especially my brothers, I took a right hook that caught me off guard. That's the story we're sticking to." The wolf explained as he ducked passed Dally in order to get into the bathroom to get the cut cleaned up.

"Is it time to involve your brothers yet?" Two-Bit asked from the living room where he was pulling himself up into a sitting position in the chair, his heart hammering in his chest, sounding like a dull roar in the wolf's ears.

"This early in with the new Alpha in town? There's still a fifty-fifty chance of their lives on the line here, of both of your lives on the line. This early in, there's a chance that they'll be killed. There's also a chance that they'd be able to help. But I'm not taking the chance of losing them, or the bigger chance of losing all of you. They don't get brought into this until it is absolutely necessary." Darry said firmly, his eyes flashing to a steel blue briefly.

"And if that Alpha makes a bigger advancement?" Dally asked as he and Two-Bit now stood just outside the opened door of the bathroom.

"He already has, Dally. This little cut is just to back up the threat of his reason for being here." he explained as he finished cleaning the cut, hoping that cleaning it would be able to speed up the healing process.

"What is his reason for being here? Why did he specifically come after you?" Two-Bit asked as he moved out of the way to let the wolf passed.

"An ultimatum. There is no Alpha of this territory, that rank died off when the crash happened. I have until the next full moon to either expand the Pack and use that to pick up the rank of an Alpha, since there is power in numbers. Or I turn the territory over to him and his Pack and submit to him as an Alpha. Ponyboy and Soda would either have to agree to being Bitten or they'd be killed on spot." He explained to the pair, his wolf raging beneath the surface of his body at the mere thought of them getting hurt. He would rather have his own blood spilled than theirs.


	7. Chapter 7

"What are you going to do?" Two-Bit asked the oldest Greaser from where himself, Dally, and Darry sat at the table in the kitchen, taking the open opportunity to talk before the others would get home. Darry raised his head off of his arms that were crossed on the table and ran his fingers through his hair, he had options racing through his mind but none were ones that he was going to consider. Not if it would put the rest of the gang's lives in danger.

"I'm going to do the only thing I can – protect the territory and my family. I'll keep the territory marked and do what I can in order to keep everybody safe. If it means going face to face with the Alpha – then that is what it takes, I'll heal eventually." the oldest Greaser explained as he propped his chin on his clasped hands, his eyes closing momentarily as he shook his head a few times.

"And if you don't?" Dally asked softly, his eyes locked onto the others, his eyebrows raised in question.

"We'll deal with that when the time comes. I'm not about to let an Alpha get between me and my Pack. If it comes down to it, I'll involve the other Packs and possibly a Pride or two. I can't let an Alpha into this territory and overthrow everything that my parents have set." Darry explained, his voice low and firm, his foot restlessly tapping against the floor, filling the room with the soft sound. Two-Bit rose from his chair to walk over to the older Greaser, placing his hands down on his shoulders to give them a firm squeeze, earning him a soft rumble in return.

"What can we do? We might not be wolves but there has to be something that we can do." the younger of the two asked, his grip tightening and relaxing on Darry's shoulders, watching with a grin as the oldest Curtis lowered his head a bit to give the other plenty of room to work.

"Just keep an eye on Pony on the days that you're in school, an eye on Sodapop on the days that you decide to not show up. So far I haven't caught the Alpha's scent on Soda – only on Pony – which could turn the tables in the Alpha's direction if he ever makes a larger statement. Turning the youngest human member of a Pack gives that member a higher chance of survival, while giving the chance for that member to decide which Pack to join – Pack by blood or Pack by bite." he explained to the both of them, a louder rumble leaving his lips when Two-Bit pressed down firmer on the juncture between his shoulders and neck.

"You're not planning on going after this Alpha, right? From what you've told us – it would be a suicide mission taking him on alone." Dally asked as he reached over and gave the oldest Greaser's wrist a squeeze to catch his attention.

"On my own? No. I'll have to go to the other Packs and Prides, speak to a few Alphas and Sires to see if they would be willing to join alongside us. They might not be willing to spare Betas and Enforcers but it is something that I have a feeling I will have no choice but to do. The Danvers' Pack I know will join to aid – but that does not mean the same for the others." Darry explained softly as he raised his head back up, tilt it in the slightest so that his cheek momentarily brushed against Two-Bit's knuckles.

"Go to the Danvers first. Maybe they will be able to tell you which Packs and Prides would be willing and which wouldn't. You need a place to start." suggested Dally with a nod of his head. The oldest Greaser was just about to respond before his head snapped in the direction of the front door, having heard that his brothers and the other two returned he exchanged a look with Dally and Two-Bit, silently telling them that the conversation was over for the time being.

"Giving Dar a rub down there, Two-Bit?" asked Sodapop with a teasing tone as he walked into the kitchen and clapped the Greaser on the shoulder, passing by him to get to the fridge in search of chocolate cake.

"Few stiff muscles in his neck, press hard enough and he goes limp. I can do you next but I'm pretty sure Dar here would kill me if I take my hands off his neck." the Greaser replied back to him with a grin, his thumb rubbing small circles at the base of his hairline, scratching lightly with his nails.

"You stop – you die." Darry muttered as he crossed his arms on the table and lowered his forehead down onto his arms, Two-Bit's hand following his head down, earning him a very low rumble in return, one that he felt through the wolf's neck rather than heard.

"Hey, Darry, you still have your switch? I'm going to need to borrow it for a few days – mine snapped in the last swing-out at Buck's. With the creep that's started hanging around the DX, I could use a better option than just my fists and a tire iron." Steve asked as he walked into the kitchen and stole a swirl of icing off of the slice of cake his best friend just sliced out. The oldest Greaser's head snapped up and turned in Steve's direction, an eyebrow raising in question before they narrowed in the slightest, his nostrils flaring to try and pick up any scent of the 'creep' on Steve or Soda.

"Tall. Insanely tall. He could have had a couple inches on you, Darry. Dark hair, dark brown maybe even black. His eyes were dark, too, they weren't a natural color. He just seemed to be watching the DX, he never came inside or came close enough for any of us to get a good look. He was creeping out our customers and all but drove a few away." Sodapop explained, having decided to join in on the conversation. Darry's shoulders were drawing tight and his spine was going rigid with every word that left the pair's lips, his eyes narrowing as his throat constricted around a growl.

"Stay here." the oldest Greaser said firmly as he rose from his chair fast enough that Two-Bit nor Dally had a chance to react, crossing the room to tug his boots on quickly.

"Sounds like the same guy that's been hanging around outside the school. He was at the last track meet, wasn't he?" Johnny asked form where he was lounged on the floor beside Ponyboy, their textbooks scattered around at their feet.

"He wasn't anybody I recognized." the youngest of the Curtis' added in from where his nose was buried in a text book while his other hand was scribbling notes in a sprawl across a tablet.

"Stay inside. Lock this door behind me." Darry ordered firmly before he was out the door, closing it with a click behind himself. Nobody could stop their growing nerves the minute the oldest Greaser was gone, they never once had to lock the door. Not once.


End file.
